Tell Cuba to STOP violating families' freedom to homeschool

Cuban Pastor Ramón Rigal has been sentenced to a year of hard labor by the Cuban authorities, simply because he and his wife Adya have chosen to homeschool their two children. The Rigal family has appealed their case, applied to the United States for assistance, and reached out to homeschoolers around the world for support.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has set up this petition to call on the Cuban government to address this human rights abuse immediately. We are asking our members and friends to join us by signing a petition to the Cuban government to respect the rights of parents to homeschool their children and to cease its prosecution of the Rigal family. Please sign this petition telling the Cuban Embassy that homeschooling is fundamental right of all families, and that you expect Cuba to protect basic human rights as a country maintaining normal relations with the United States.

Ramon and his wife decided to homeschool because they wanted a better education for their children, who were being bullied and indoctrinated in Cuba’s communist school system. “We wanted the freedom to give our children the education that we, the parents, have chosen,” Ramón explained. “As Article 26.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, every parent has the right to give his children the education that he chooses.”

Ramón wants to be able to stay in Cuba to pastor his congregation, but it is no wonder that Ramón and his family have expressed a desire to seek refuge in a country that would respect their rights to educate their children.

“This is a great injustice,” Ramon said. “They are trying to force us to send our children only to state schools—not having the option for the children to be taught at home. They should respect the right that parents have based on the human right to teach their children and to respect their faith and the right to homeschool.”

His wife added that she fears not only for the future of their family but for the congregation Ramon pastors.

“I am worried for my children and my husband,” Adya said. “We are only trying to do what is best for our children. I do not want to be separated from my husband. Their children need him. Our church needs our pastor. My children are very sad and worried.”

The Rigals’ treatment in Cuba is a violation of human rights. We demand better from the Cuban government. Sign the petition telling the Cuban government to respect the rights of parents to homeschool their children.

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I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Cuban government's treatment of Ramón Rigal, a Cuban pastor, and his wife Adya. These parents were recently arrested for homeschooling their children.

The Rigals, and other families in Cuba, have a right to educate their children as they see fit.

Ramon and Adya decided to homeschool because they wanted a better education for their children. Article 26.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that all parents have a right to give their children the education they choose. Cuba is disrespecting this important right.

A society that forces children to learn only in public school is totalitarian. The right of people to establish private schools and to homeschool is a minimum expectation in a free nation. As Cuban-U.S. relations are normalized, we must ensure that this right is upheld.

I call upon the Cuban government to immediately acknowledge the right of parents to homeschool their children and stop its mistreatment of the Rigal family.

Sincerely,[Your Name]

Tell Cuba to STOP violating families' freedom to homeschool

Sign this petition now!

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